Devices that cut and shape dough were created side-by-side with the development of the pastry art. Almost every culture or civilization has devised some means for shaping baked products for any number of reasons. Illustratively, cookie cutters have been used for generations not only to delight children and adults with baked products that have attractive and fanciful shapes, but also to provide an inexpensive means for swiftly and conveniently making a large number of the same product to satisfy a mass market. There are other purposes that have been served by dough forming devices. These purposes occupy a spectrum that extend from satisfying a simple, utilitarian need for "our daily bread" to ecclesiastical purposes, of which "hot cross buns" and the other baked goods that are used to celebrate religious holidays and ceremonies are typical.
The following patents are typical of dough forming apparatus that satisfy these needs to a greater or lesser extent:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,026,829 granted Jan. 7, 1936 to F. Ellinger for "Pie Pan" shows a pie tin and an associated annular cutting ring for preparing a pie crust.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,546,656 granted March 27, 1951 to S. S. Smith for "Device For Making Pie Crusts" shows a pie crust mold and an associated ring for making a pie.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,166,027, granted Jan. 19, 1965 to A. Sprenzel for "Dough Forming And Sizing Device" shows a form and shims for making pie crusts of predetermined thickness.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,074, granted May 30, 1967 to M. A. Malnory for "Dough Mold" shows a pie crust mold that includes a cutting edge for forming the bottom pie crust and an annular insert with an associated cutting edge for forming the top pie crust.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,008 granted June 20, 1972 to F. A. Villalba, Jr. for "Food Mold" shows a frame that houses a flat circular disk to vary the thickness of the dough being shaped within the mold cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 245,827 granted September 20, 1977 to R. F. Korpi for "Hamburg Patty Press" shows a compression mold for shaping food products.
U.S. Patent No. Des. 255,412 granted June 17, 1980 to N. Bereza for "Pie Crust Maker, Or Similar Article" shows a compression mold for making, apparently, bottom pie crusts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,395 granted Feb. 14, 1984 to G. B. Babos for "Gingerbread House Apparatus" shows a set of baking tins for making gingerbread house components.